Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Tuesday's Topic: Teen Sexuality
Teen pregnancy is gaining a lot of notice with shows such as 16 & Pregnant. In our own town there is an 8th grader (that makes her what, 13 or 14 years old?) that is pregnant. It has brought up conversations of birth control and it's surprising to me to find out just how sexually active the teens in this high school are and how parents automatically put their children on birth control now. Do you think putting a teen on birth control is the "green light" to go ahead and have sex? Do you think parents who strongly advise abstinence can have a positive influence on their teens? What direction is the best for a parent to take?
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I do think it's important to teach abstinence. I also think though that putting your child on birth control is a preventative measure which may prevent a one time mistake from turning into a larger regret. It's sad that children are engaging in these activities so early!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely think that putting your child on birth control is a green light to have sex. A friend of mine from high school was put on birth control to help manage her skin condition, and she became very sexually active shortly after. It gave her a feeling of freedom to engage in sexual activity. My parents were very outspoken about abstinence (my mom had several of her own personal experiences to share from) and it was a very positive influence on me to abstain. I also saw the struggles that my sexually active friends had and that made me even more willing to wait. I think that parents need to be very proactive in talking to their children about sexuality. If parents aren't open about it, kids will go to someone who is... and oftentimes that someone won't share the ideas or wisdom of the parent. They are going to hear about it at a young age. It's just a fact. The question is from whom???
ReplyDelete@Claire: Your last sentence is an excellent point. I think it is very very important to talk to your kids young, tell them your experiences frankly, give them your advice (sharing your values on sex and promoting abstinence), letting them know that you are always there to talk to and be asked questions, and then allow them to make choices.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe in protecting our children from the consequences in life; putting them on birth control for the purpose of "avoiding future regrets" is foolish, imo. Our kids have to realize that there is a consequence to every action they take. If they choose to make a bad decision, they must live with it. Plus I do believe that being on birth control could be "giving the green light" so to speak, since they unconsciously feel "protected". Additionally, I don't believe birth control is moral to take due to its abortifacient properties.
I was a teen mom and I can tell you from experience had my mom been more active in talking about it instead of simply saying dont do it things would have been different. As soon as she found out I was active she tried to get me on birth control that same day I found out I was pregnant. My mother was not around often during this time also which I also think was a big factor. Talk to your kids bcp is not preventative for diseases and sometimes kids only protect against pregnancy either they just dont get consequences are real.
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